Connecticut deflects MTA fare hikes

Martin B. Cassidy, Staff Writer

Published 7:59 pm, Thursday, October 7, 2010

STAMFORD -- Connecticut riders have been spared a fare hike for train tickets purchased by mail or computer on Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a slate of December price increases for their New York counterparts Thursday morning.

The MTA's plans for Connecticut would have eliminated a 2 percent discount on tickets purchased by mail, and discounts of 2 percent on monthly tickets and 5 percent on all other tickets purchased by computer, but Gov. M. Jodi Rell rejected the changes on the basis of their negative effect on mass transit use.

Connecticut, which owns the New Haven Line and contracts with the MTA to run it, must approve fare increases for travel to and from stations on its portion of the line.

"Connecticut will not support these proposed rail fare hikes and we will not allow the idea to pick up a head of steam," Rell said Thursday following the MTA vote. "Fare hikes are inconsistent with everything we have tried to accomplish in the public transportation arena, and they would hurt Connecticut commuters."

The MTA board voted 12-2 Thursday morning to implement fare hikes for New York commuters, the third round of hikes since 2008, to help close an $800 million operating budget gap. New York commuters will face fare increases ranging from 7.6 to 9.4 percent.

The changes will take effect Dec. 30 and are expected to raise MTA revenues by 7.5 percent in the next year.

The authority had no choice but to adopt the hikes and policy changes, MTA Chairman and CEO Jay Walder said. "There is simply no way to be able to make up for the monies that are being raised here today," he said.

The fare increases are expected to bring in $425 million in the next year.

The plan would also raise the price of an unlimited MetroCard from $89 a month to $104, an increase of nearly 17 percent, and the weekly MetroCard price will rise from $27 to $29.

Despite Rell's opposition, Connecticut commuters will be subject to two policy changes meant to help generate additional revenue for the MTA.

The period of validity for 10-trip tickets will be reduced from one year to six months, and the validity of single-trip tickets from six months to two weeks.

Riders will also pay a $10 refund processing fee for redeeming unused tickets.

In a letter to Walder and Metro-North President Howard Permut sent Monday, Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Jeffrey Parker explained the state chose to block the fare increases and oppose the reduced periods of validity and refund fee changes because they would undermine Connecticut's investment in a new fleet of more than 300 M-8 railcars and other improvements that are meant to spur more people to ride trains.

"At a time when Connecticut is making unprecedented investments in public transportation to encourage the use of mass transit, these increases are clearly counterproductive," Parker wrote.